How To Handle African Swine Fever

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease, and there is no known treatment for affected pigs. It is the leading killer of pigs worldwide.

When swine fever strikes, there is only one likely scenario and that is losing all the pigs because the disease has no cure and spreads very fast.

Prevention of swine fever

• Keeping your pigs enclosed in the pigsty is the best way of controlling this disease. If the animals loiter around, they may contract it from outside.
• African swine fever can be transmitted if the animals get into contact with products of other pigs — be it dead. Do not allow your pigs to feed on anything that has pig products.
• Make it compulsory for whoever enters the pigsty to disinfect their feet before they get in. The disinfecting basin or foot-bath should be placed at the entrance.
• If the fever attacks your farm, slaughter all affected animals and bury them far away from the farm.
• Overall, cleanliness and exclusion of your animals from any unnecessary intrusion will keep this killer disease away